safford



UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEicE GEO. E. SAFFORD,OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, AND F. Gr. & F. T. WARD, 0F BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

SPRING BED-BOTTOM.

Specicaton of Letters Patent No. 20,609, dated June 15, 1858.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. SAFEORD, of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring Bed-Bottoms, the construction and operation of which I have described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings with sufficient clearness to enable competent and skilful workmen in the arts to which it pertains or is most nearly allied to make and use my invention.

My said invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, by which the middle of the bed bottom is prevented from sinking` below its proper relative position to its sides; while at the same time either side may be depressed without raising the other out of position; the peculiar manner in which this bed bottom and the parts which support it are constructed, allowing the sides and not the middle, to descend below a certain relative position as hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings Figure l is a plan of my improved bed bottom in position attached to a bedstead. Fig. 2 is an under side view of it or in other words a plan of the same thing, inverted. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section through the middle.

A is the bedstead to which the other parts about to be described, are attached.

B B are brackets upon which the springs C C are supported. They are attached to the sides of the bedstead as shown, by screws, or otherwise as may be convenient. rTheir ends are slotted as shown in Fig. 3 to receive the half springs C C. These springs are made in the form represented in Fig. 3 and slotted at their ends to receive the thumb screws or catches D I). These slots may however be closed at the end by extending the spring so far that the thumb screw may yet be removed through the opening. These thumb screws are fixed in the under side of the frame E on which the bed or mattress is laid. This frame E is made in two longitudinal sections connected by two bolt hinges F or their equivalent as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. A strap hinge might answer the purpose quite as well. A careful examination of the construction and arrangement of the parts will show that the frame E is supported almost entirely under the sides with very little support toward the middle; consequently the weight upon the bed under ordinary conditions will have a tendency to keep the hinge F open, as it is upon the under side of the frame, and the abutting ends of the cross pieces keep it from yielding in the other direction.

IVhen the frame E is removed from the springs there is nothing to hinder its being folded up and put away in a small space or conveniently packed for removal. The frame is released from the spring C by turning the thumb screws D D so as to bring their heads lengthwise of the slots in the springs. When this is done there is nothing to prevent the frame E from being removed and folded as above stated. While the parts remain in the position here represented the frame F is securely connected to the bedstead.

It is obvious that a rigid frame combined with a series of springs in the manner above described will keep the surface of the bed much more even than it would be if the slats were allowed to yield independently of each other, as is the case with other spring bed bottoms. In my construction while the springs are allowed to yield sufi ciently to give the necessary compensation for sudden motions yet the parts have a united and harmonious action which is in some respects very much more agreeable.

It will be observed by a careful inspection of the arrangement of parts and their mode of operation, that the middle of this bed bottom cannot descend below a right line drawn from side to side of the said bed bottom, while, if a considerable weight be placed upon either side, the yielding of the hinge will allow it to descend without raising the other side out of position, which it would do except for my improvement.

I do not claim the elliptic springs, thumb screws, or frame E, separately considered, as my invention; neither do I claim hinges or a hinged frame as such.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The jointed frame, hinged beneath and supported above, in combination with the springs, substantially as and for the purpose described.

GEO. E. SAFFORD. Witnesses:

PENELOPE S. BAYNE, THos. P. How. 

